Naked people hug at Sydney Opera House for Spencer Tunick photo

It’s not every day that you see over 5,000 naked people hugging each other on the steps of Sydney’s iconic Opera House – and if you do, it must mean that
Spencer Tunick is in town.

Some of the 5,200 naked participants in Spencer Tunick’s ‘Mardi Gras:The Base’ embrace on the steps of the Sydney Opera House

Tunick, who is famous for his massive nude group photos in public spaces, posed around 5,200 naked participants for more than an hour in a variety of positions on Monday morning – including getting them to embrace each other.

‘It was difficult to get the straight participants to embrace the gay participants and vice versa,’ Tunick said. ‘So I was very happy that that last set up finally got done and everyone came together (in a) united, friendly kiss, a loving kiss in front of this great structure.’

Nineteen-year-old student Art Rush said he was thrilled to participate.

‘I’ll never get a chance to do this again; it’s not worth being inhibited,’ Rush said. ‘It doesn’t feel sexual, it just feels tribal, a gathering of humanity.’

The famous Sydney Opera House: there’s not normally that many naked people standing in front of it

‘I thought it could be a bit awkward, but it’s funny because when you’re naked and everybody else is naked, you feel like you’re dressed, because everybody looks the same,’ said Steven Anglier, who wore a wig so he could stand out in the photo.

‘It’s really a weird experience because you think there could be something sexual behind, but there’s not.’

As the sun rose, Tunick instructed participants to do a number of poses, from standing up, lying down, and even embracing cheek to cheek, for the work titled ‘Mardi Gras:The Base’.

Tunick has produced almost 100 nude installations around the world, and says his work is not about exhibitionism or eroticism but instead reveals the vulnerability of life in a rough city landscape.

Hands up if you forgot to put clothes on this morning: the naked masses pose of Spencer Tunick

But that argument has not impressed authorities at home in the United States, where Tunick has been arrested seven times.

His largest installation was in Mexico on May 6, 2007, where he photographed 18,000 people In Mexico city’s Zocalo Square.